In a rivalry spiced up by images of 2-by-4's and banshee spears, the Ravens are looking to regain their punishing mind-set on run defense against the Tennessee Titans today at Ravens Stadium.
Once considered the standard in shutting down running backs, the Ravens lost their run-stopping core in the offseason as well as their edge. For the first time in more than four years, the Ravens have allowed 100-yard rushers in consecutive weeks.
Now, the wounded Ravens (4-6) are looking to tap into their glory days in their bitter reunion with the Titans (6-4), winners of five straight and the hottest team in the NFL.
The Ravens' annual run-ins with Tennessee running back Eddie George have been defined by the crushing hits and the defense's aura of dominance. Controlling George over the years was one of the highlights in the Ravens not giving up 100 yards to a running back in 52 straight games from 1998 to 2001.
"We don't allow 100-yard rushers, but only a couple of guys remember that," Ravens defensive end Adalius Thomas said. "I don't think the young guys coming in really understand that's like slapping us in the face. It's an attitude thing when it comes to stopping the run. That's what we have to do a better job of."
That job could be tougher if Ravens inside linebackers Ray Lewis and Ed Hartwell are sidelined. Both are nursing injuries, and their roles will be game-time decisions.
Lewis, a five-time Pro Bowl performer, is recovering from shoulder, ankle and calf injuries; he had returned to the field last Sunday after missing five straight games. Hartwell, the team's leading tackler, hurt his kneecap near the end of Thursday's practice.
If both don't play, they'll be replaced by eight-year veteran Bernardo Harris and undrafted rookie Bart Scott.
"It'll be a challenge," said Ravens outside linebacker Peter Boulware. "We've got to keep hanging in there. That's been our story this year."
The Ravens' story line with George has been a lopsided one over the years. In his past eight meetings with the Ravens, George has averaged 46.3 yards a game and 2.8 yards a carry.
"The one thing we do when we play Eddie George is we play with passion," Boulware said.
That emotion has been lost in the Ravens' run defense recently. There has also been the increasing problem of wrong alignments and missed tackles.
Over the past five games, the Ravens have dropped from eighth to 13th in stopping the run, allowing 128.2 yards a game. Last Sunday in Miami, the Dolphins ran on all eight plays inside the red zone and scored two touchdowns.
The Ravens are in a slide in which they have given up 100-yard rushers in three of their past five games. Before that stretch, the Ravens had allowed just one in their previous 60 games.
"If you don't stop the run," Thomas said, "you don't have a chance to win the game."
In stopping the Titans' running attack, the focus can't solely be placed on George. The Ravens have to contain the scrambling of quarterback Steve McNair, who has a knack for running for critical first downs.
The Ravens can draw confidence from silencing Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick earlier this month, but they can't be lulled into thinking that it's the same chore.
"Where Vick is going to outrun, McNair is just so powerful," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "If they want to take the stereotype that here's another quarterback that is very mobile, they're going to find it's a little bit different. You can get to McNair, but bringing him down is another matter."
Today's collision could be one of the last installments in what once was a twice-a-year AFC Central showdown. This year's realignment separated the Ravens and the Titans into different divisions and might put off a rematch for another three years.
That's a long time for silence for a rivalry known for heated exchanges.
Last year, Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher told his team leading up to a game against the Ravens: "Even if we lose, just bring your 2-by-4's to lay some wood into the Ravens."
After the Ravens' 26-7 win, Billick said, "They [the Titans] need to bring a bigger stick next time."
The season before, Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister made headlines when he boasted that Lewis delivered a hit that made George "curl up like a baby" and Billick uttered this line about playing at Tennessee: "When you go into the lion's den, you don't tippy-toe in. You carry a spear. You go in screaming like a banshee and say, 'Where's the son of a bitch?' "
When asked if he was going to break out the spear for this game, Billick smiled and said, "Maybe afterward."
For the Titans, there is no time for later.
"I don't want to say we're looking for revenge, but redemption," Titans receiver Kevin Dyson said. "We don't want to go out on the losing end and have to think about it until the next one."
If Tennessee is looking for the last word, the Ravens are concentrating on their last gasp. With a 4-6 record, Billick called his team's playoff chances "a long shot" and said they'd likely need to win the last six games.
"My attitude is that I'm going to put my head down and not look where we're at," Boulware said. "I'm just going to fight. Hopefully, at the end of the season, when I put my head up, it's where I want to be. I just can't focus on that right now because it is kind of bleak."
Ravens today
Matchup:Ravens (4-6) vs. Tennessee Titans (6-4)
Site:Ravens Stadium
Time:1 p.m.
TV/Radio:Ch. 13/WJFK (1300 AM), WQSR (102.7 FM)
Line:Titans by 2
SunSpot:For more coverage, visit sunspot.net/ravens
No Titan
How Titans running back Eddie George has fared in his past eight meetings against the Ravens:
Date Att Yds Avg. Lg TD
12-6-98 27 63 2.3 9 1
10-10-99 20 55 2.8 14 0
12-5-99 8 32 4.0 14 1
10-22-00 1 4 4.0 4 0
11-12-00 12 28 2.3 9 0
1-7-01* 27 91 3.4 15 1
10-7-01 13 26 2.0 9 0
11-12-01 22 71 3.2 9 0
*-Playoff game